00:00by Chase Hughes, who joins us right now.
00:02Chase, of course, covers the Wizards
00:04and has for a while now for Monumental Sports.
00:08You can follow Chase on X at ChaseDCSports.
00:15Do you think, when do you think,
00:17just a hunch if you don't have this specific answer,
00:21when do you think they became the Wizards,
00:25sold, and absolutely, he was their guy?
00:30Did that happen late in the process
00:32or earlier in the process?
00:34I'm just curious how close Darren Peterson was.
00:39Well, first of all, listening back to that quote,
00:42I think we can maybe update the line,
00:44I fill seats to I fill suites,
00:47because he's going to be playing in NBA arenas now.
00:51Yeah, I think it was probably a few weeks ago
00:55you know, I had been saying coming out of the combine
00:58that it was 50-50, and I think it was a lot closer
01:01than people thought on the night of the lottery.
01:04They did like Darren Peterson, and they liked Cam Boozer,
01:07and they had to do their due diligence.
01:09But as we got close to the draft,
01:10it seemed unrealistic that they hadn't met.
01:15I think it was probably several weeks ago
01:18after they were in the building
01:20and were able to sit down with them
01:21and really get to know them,
01:22because as Will Dawkins says,
01:24you know, they draft people, not players,
01:26and that's a really important part of what they do.
01:29Yeah, all right.
01:30I mean, I can't imagine that it wasn't
01:33from a basketball evaluation standpoint close.
01:37But yeah, of course, they draft people as well.
01:42And ultimately, do you think
01:44just a lot of the smoke around Darren Peterson
01:47just made him almost a non-starter?
01:51I think it's more about the Bonsa,
01:55and as much as these guys were close,
01:58I think the way that Will Dawkins framed it
02:00the night of the draft,
02:03something along the lines of, like,
02:05it's hard to talk yourself out of a guy like this.
02:07You know, if the feelings are similar skill set-wise,
02:12they're both unbelievable offensive talents,
02:14then you see what the guy did at the Combine,
02:17talking about the Bonsa.
02:18He's legitimately one of the most athletic prospects
02:21we've ever seen test at the Combine.
02:23And then, I don't know how you really poke holes
02:26whatsoever in terms of his intangibles.
02:28He's got this huge personality,
02:30but he's also very clearly very serious about the game.
02:35I know some has been made about his offensive play style,
02:38but when you really dive into it,
02:40he plays the right way.
02:42I mean, he's an appreciably better passer,
02:45I think, than Darren Peterson.
02:47I think Cam Boozer probably was the best passer
02:49at the top of the draft.
02:50But if you really watch the Bonsa,
02:51he's a very talented playmaker.
02:54And the first time I started to notice that
02:56was when he was toward the end of his high school career,
02:59and it was in showcase games,
03:01like the McDonald's All-American game.
03:03And I'm like, this guy's playing the right way
03:06in a game where it's usually just a free-for-all.
03:09And I remember just, you know,
03:10checking the box score at the end of those games
03:12and realizing, like, you know,
03:13he didn't necessarily jump off the screen,
03:15but he just filled up the box score
03:18and, you know, was making the right reads.
03:21So I think there was just,
03:23when you really dived into it,
03:25you know, you just couldn't find really any reason
03:27not to take the guy.
03:28You know, you said something,
03:29and it just, it sparked something for me
03:32because when the Skins drafted Sonny Styles,
03:36he had had the best combine workout ever
03:40for a linebacker.
03:41And I said after that draft,
03:44I'm like, he's a really good athlete,
03:46but I don't think he is the athlete
03:49that the Indy Combine results reflect.
03:52Like, he's not, like,
03:54he's not going to be just one of the fastest,
03:57you know, hardest hitting, most athletic.
03:59Like a Sean Taylor-like.
04:01But he's athletic, but he just,
04:03it's not what it is based on the Indy Combine.
04:06And I feel that way about A.J. DeBonsa.
04:08When you just said, you know,
04:09he's one of the best tested athletes ever,
04:12I don't see him as Dominique Wilkins
04:15or Michael Jordan,
04:16or even, like, in recent years,
04:18people like Russell Westbrook.
04:20You know, I see him as athletic,
04:22don't get me wrong,
04:23but I see him much more as a crafty,
04:27methodical at times,
04:29getting to his spots,
04:30hitting the mid-range,
04:31versus the truly explosive athlete
04:35at that position.
04:36Do you agree or disagree?
04:38I think I agree if I'm picking up
04:41what you're putting down,
04:42because his numbers surprised me.
04:45I mean, as I watched him,
04:46the thing that jumped out most
04:47was just the skill,
04:48the offensive feel.
04:50I mean, he's so bendy and flexible
04:52and shifty in the way he moves
04:54in the mid-range.
04:55There's no secret why he averaged
04:57about eight and a half free throw attempts
04:59per game last year.
05:01You know, had the most free throw attempts
05:02of any player in Division I,
05:04drew the second most shooting fouls,
05:06had the most and ones.
05:07Like, this guy is really hard
05:09to stay in front of.
05:10He's really shifty.
05:11He's extremely good at getting
05:13to the free throw line.
05:14So when I say most athletic prospects
05:17at the Combine,
05:18I think I can take that
05:19a little bit further
05:20and say most athletic top prospects
05:23at the Combine.
05:24Because usually,
05:24when you see guys put up numbers
05:27like he did,
05:28they don't know how to shoot.
05:29They don't know how to dribble.
05:31You're bringing in a guy
05:32and you're just hoping
05:33that you can sort of mold him
05:34into a basketball player.
05:36This is a basketball player
05:37that once he went to the Combine,
05:39you start to see the hard data
05:41that there are ways
05:42this guy has separation
05:44from your average,
05:45even elite athlete
05:46at the NBA level.
05:47This guy's a one percenter
05:48and he's got the skill set
05:50and he's got the intangibles
05:52and he happens to have
05:53a big personality.
05:54So there's just so many boxes
05:55that he checks off.
05:56Yeah, I just think people,
05:58you know,
05:58are fans that maybe
05:59didn't watch him a lot
06:01at BYU.
06:01When they hear that,
06:04I think to me,
06:05he's more skilled
06:06than he is athletic.
06:08Like, you're not,
06:09this isn't Vince Carter.
06:11You know,
06:12this isn't,
06:12you know,
06:13Dr. J.
06:14This isn't Blake Griffin,
06:16you know,
06:16for, you know,
06:17a bigger guy.
06:18But it's not that
06:19he's unathletic.
06:20No, he is athletic.
06:21It's just not
06:22like the explosive,
06:24like that's what we're going
06:25to be talking about
06:26every night.
06:26He's not going to be
06:28more likely than not
06:29the highlight reel
06:32for, you know,
06:33for dunks
06:34and acrobatic plays.
06:35I think the skill level there,
06:37the IQ is there
06:39and that's,
06:41yeah,
06:41I think sometimes
06:42when you hear
06:43those athletic numbers,
06:45people overlook
06:45that part of it.
06:47All right,
06:47how does he fit in?
06:48Tell me right now,
06:50let's fast forward
06:51to the middle
06:51of next season
06:52and let's just say
06:54that Trey Young
06:54and Anthony Davis
06:55are not only on the team,
06:57but they're thriving
06:58because they are healthy.
06:59The team is
07:00in the playoff race
07:02in the Eastern Conference.
07:03Give me your starting five
07:05and how it shakes out.
07:08Starting five,
07:09Trey Young at the one,
07:11I'd put Keyshawn George
07:12at the two,
07:14DeBonsa at the three,
07:16AD at the four
07:17and Alex Saar at the five
07:19and for me,
07:19it's just a question,
07:20you know,
07:21if DeBonsa is in the
07:22starting lineup,
07:23we'll see.
07:23I think it makes a lot of sense
07:25if he is in there,
07:25he's so talented.
07:26I think it's,
07:27what do you want to put
07:28next to him and Trey Young
07:30and I think Keyshawn George
07:32is the best combination
07:34of size,
07:36physical defense
07:37and also offensive talent
07:39that they have
07:40among their young players
07:41at this point.
07:42So I think he's
07:43the type of guy
07:43who could play on the ball,
07:44he could play off the ball,
07:46you know,
07:46he could compliment Trey Young
07:47and DeBonsa very well
07:49on both ends of the floor.
07:50He can catch and shoot
07:51from three
07:52and really it's about
07:53the defense.
07:54I mean,
07:54Trey Young,
07:55very talented offensive player,
07:56DeBonsa,
07:57very talented offensively.
07:59DeBonsa has got to
08:00improve defensively,
08:01he'll tell you that.
08:02Keyshawn George
08:03gives you something
08:04that you just have to have
08:05which is someone
08:06who can disrupt things
08:07on the perimeter,
08:08who can switch
08:09and so I think
08:10he makes a lot of sense
08:11but,
08:11you know,
08:12Trey Johnson,
08:13Bilal Kulabal,
08:14I think there's a couple
08:14other players
08:15who would be options
08:16for that role
08:17but Keyshawn George,
08:18even though he's 6'8",
08:19maybe 6'9",
08:20yes,
08:21he is a two guard.
08:23He's played over
08:23a third of his minutes
08:24in the NBA so far
08:26at the two.
08:26He grew up playing guard
08:27before a growth spurt
08:28so that is a reality
08:30of his game.
08:31He can play
08:31in that position.
08:33Tell me what your thoughts
08:35are about Anthony Davis
08:36in terms of
08:37his desire to be here,
08:39the possibility
08:40of a contract extension
08:41in August
08:42and what it looks like
08:44moving forward
08:44with this organization.
08:47Well,
08:48I feel more confident
08:49saying that he's going
08:50to be part of this team
08:51next year
08:51just because
08:52lately we've heard
08:53on the record
08:54both from Michael Winger
08:55and Will Dawkins
08:56expressing confidence
08:57in that
08:58and Will Dawkins
08:59took it a little bit further,
09:00saying in an ESPN interview
09:02that there is
09:04the possibility
09:04of extension talks
09:06in August.
09:06We'll see where that goes.
09:08I like the fit
09:10in terms of
09:11especially on the defensive end
09:13if he is healthy.
09:14The Wizards last year
09:15I think saw
09:16tremendous gain
09:17from Alex Saar
09:18as a rim protector
09:19but they still had
09:20one of the worst defenses
09:21in the league.
09:23He's not quite
09:24at the point
09:24where it's like
09:25a Rudy Gobert situation
09:27where just put him
09:28on the court
09:29and it doesn't matter
09:29who's out there
09:30you're going to have
09:31a top 10 defense.
09:32So I think
09:33having two rim protectors
09:34could be strength
09:35in numbers.
09:36Perhaps it could look
09:37a little bit like Cleveland
09:38with Evan Mobley
09:39and Jared Allen
09:40and so I think
09:42that pushes the ball
09:43down the field
09:44a little bit
09:44in terms of their defense
09:45and that's going to be
09:46really, really important.
09:47I feel pretty confident
09:49that their offense
09:49can take a big step forward
09:51with Trey Young
09:51in the mix.
09:52The defense
09:53is a bit of a question mark
09:54and it's really important
09:56if you want to win
09:58throughout the history
09:59of the NBA
10:00but especially
10:01when you get to the playoffs
10:02you're not really going
10:03to go very far
10:04unless you can defend.
10:05Yeah, I mean
10:06to me, Chase
10:06and I know we've probably
10:07talked about this before
10:09but if they're going
10:10to make a big jump
10:11in this first year
10:12of trying to win games
10:14in the last three years
10:15and they're going
10:16to go from 17
10:17to say 42-43
10:19play in territory
10:20six or five seed
10:22it's going to be
10:23because Anthony Davis
10:24played 65-70 games
10:26it's not going to be
10:27because A.J. DeBonsa
10:28is the rookie of the year
10:30that's not going to
10:30translate into
10:31that kind of a turnaround
10:32I mean, Cooper Flagg
10:34was the rookie of the year
10:35and had a phenomenal
10:36rookie season
10:36Dallas won 26 games
10:38to me
10:39it's all about
10:40A.D.
10:41him being here
10:42him being healthy
10:43and him playing
10:45like he is capable
10:46of playing
10:46and then a big turnaround
10:48a big one-year turnaround
10:50is in play
10:51agree or disagree
10:53I agree
10:54I would add to that
10:55that the young players
10:57the recent high draft picks
10:58excluding DeBonsa
10:59I absolutely agree
11:00you know
11:00first year
11:01he could be incredible
11:02and it's
11:03you know
11:04he's going to have to
11:05learn how to win
11:05I mean
11:05I could add
11:06Victor Wimbanyama
11:07to that conversation
11:08these guys
11:09you know
11:09usually take them
11:10a few years
11:11but you look at
11:12like Trey Johnson
11:13Alex Saar
11:14Keyshawn George
11:14Will Riley
11:16Bilal Kulibaly
11:17Bub Carrington
11:18these guys
11:18that were drafted
11:19because they have
11:20high feeling
11:21we saw last year
11:22with Keyshawn George
11:23and Alex Saar
11:24in particular
11:25you know
11:25a couple guys
11:26make significant
11:27steps forward
11:28and all of a sudden
11:28the picture changes
11:29quite a bit
11:30and they got
11:31a lot of those guys
11:32so I think
11:33if you get
11:33two or three of them
11:34to make leaps
11:35that were similar
11:35to what we saw
11:36from Keyshawn
11:37and Alex
11:37last year
11:38that could change
11:39the outlook
11:40quite a bit
11:40and add
11:41a lot of wins
11:42to their win total
11:43but certainly
11:44the health
11:44of Anthony Davis
11:45is paramount
11:46because of how much
11:47he could impact
11:48not only the defense
11:49but the offense too
11:50I mean this guy
11:51is a very talented
11:52scorer as well
11:53all right
11:54oh I didn't ask you
11:55about Akpara
11:56what did you make
11:57of the second round pick
12:00yeah I mean
12:01it was not surprising
12:02that they packaged
12:03their two draft picks
12:04for a two for one
12:05you know
12:05they're kind of
12:06running out of roster
12:07spots to a certain degree
12:08and I think it makes sense
12:10to get sort of a physical
12:12defensive big man
12:13I wouldn't be surprised
12:14if they try to get
12:15another one
12:15in free agency
12:16and you know
12:18the fact that
12:18he's very big
12:19he's got
12:20a high motor
12:21you know
12:22he's about 240 pounds
12:24he's going to be
12:24the second heaviest
12:25player on the team
12:26next to Anthony Davis
12:27I think that's
12:28actually quite crucial
12:29this was the lightest
12:30team in the league
12:31in terms of average weight
12:32last year
12:33and the year before
12:34I think he could develop
12:35into someone
12:36who could take on
12:36some of those
12:37bigger defensive matchups
12:38and you know
12:39looking long term
12:40that's going to be
12:41really important
12:42look at the complexion
12:43of the Eastern Conference
12:44the New York Knicks
12:45Detroit Pistons
12:46Boston Celtics
12:47Orlando Magic
12:48teams like that
12:49they're very physical
12:50and they have a bunch
12:51of guys on their team
12:51that you know
12:52look like they could
12:53play for the commanders
12:54and the Wizards
12:55are trying to develop
12:57their young players
12:58into more physical guys
13:00I think they got someone
13:00who's got a good
13:01starting point
13:02because he's very big
13:04and he's very physical
13:05and he's got a good motor
13:06and he blocks shots
13:07but he can also switch
13:08so they're very excited
13:09about his defensive ceiling
13:11you
13:11and you
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